Sand and kisses
by 999Shikaku999
Summary: You were all by yourself, staring up at a dark grey sky. And I was changed. It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes... The moment I saw you cry. Complete
1. Chapter 1

This is the first part out of three. Dedicated to Gaara's Desert Rose.

Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Misaki! Time to get up."

Five-year-old Misaki slowly crawled out of bed. "Coming!" She nearly tripped over one of her stuffed animals lying on the floor. She brushed her hair a bit with her fingers as she went.

She ran downstairs and rushed into the kitchen. She could smell her breakfast.

As quick as she could she sat down at the table. "Morning mommy, morning daddy." She said cheerfully.

"Can I go to the playground today?"

"All by yourself?" Her mother said with a concerned look on her face.

Misaki nodded. "I am a big girl now. I am already five years old."

Her father laughed. "You sure are. Of course you can."

"Just don't go too far and don't talk to strangers." Her mother added smiling.

Misaki's smile widened and she giggled. "I know."

Once she had finished her breakfast she hopped off her chair and she took off running.

"Wait a second Misaki." Her mother walked up to her. "I'll come pick you up in an hour or so, okay?"

"Yes mommy." She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and waved at her father, who returned the gesture.

As she arrived at the playground she saw a group of kids playing. On the side sat a boy, all by himself. She joined in a couple of games of tag and a couple of games of hide and seek. The boy however, didn't join in their games.

In another game of hide and seek she hid behind the tree. From there she could watch him. He looked so lonely. She didn't understand why no one wanted to play with him. Quickly she turned away when he caught her staring. With sad eyes he looked away.

The other kids kept calling him names. They called him a monster. Couldn't they see that they were hurting him? She was just about to go to him when someone called out to her.

"Misaki are you coming?"

"Okay." She ran towards her mother, not noticing a pair of eyes following her.

"Did you have fun today?" Her mother asked as they walked away.

"I guess. Mommy…" She looked up with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What is it?"

"There was this boy sitting there all alone. No one wanted to play with him."

"What boy?" Her mother frowned.

"Over there." She pointed at him.

"Misaki! How many times have I told you it's not polite to point at people?"

"Sorry." Misaki hung her head.

Her mother turned to look at the boy and gasped. "That is Gaara. Stay away from him Misaki."

"But why mommy?"

"He is nothing but trouble." Her mother picked up the pace and she ran a bit to keep up.

'Gaara…' Misaki repeated in her head, sneaking another glance at the boy.

When it was time to get ready for bed she looked out of the window. For some reason she couldn't forget Gaara. Silently she made a promise to herself. She would talk to him tomorrow. 'I don't care what mommy says. He just needs a friend.' She jumped on her bed and was fast asleep by the time her mother came to tuck her in.

She smiled as she watched her daughter sleep. Gently she brushed a strand of hair out of Misaki's face. Her husband stood behind her, embracing her. "How time flies, it seems almost like yesterday that she was born." She whispered.

He nodded in agreement as if not to wake his little girl up.

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

The next morning…

"But mommy… Why can't I go to the playground by myself?"

"I don't want you anywhere near that boy. He is dangerous."

"I am a big girl." Misaki huffed.

Her mother shook her head smiling and then she hugged her. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. Alright, you can go by yourself, but I am walking you there and I want you to be extra careful."

Misaki cheered and jumped up and down enthusiastically. "Don't worry mommy. I will."

Waving at her mother who had walked her to the playground, she went to sit by the tree. As soon as she was sure her mother had gone away she looked around searching for a certain redhead. She squealed happily when she saw him. He was sitting alone… Again.

'But not for long.' She thought to herself as she plopped down next to him, smiling at him.

He looked shocked and clutched his teddy.

"Hi." She said, still smiling. "I'm Misaki. How come you're not playing with the others?"

"I'm Gaara. No one wants to play with me." He replied, looking down at his feet.

She frowned then smiled again. "I do." She giggled and held out her hand.

His head shot up, eyes intently watching her as if to make sure she was telling the truth. Smiling slightly he took her hand.

She ran off, pulling him with her towards the sandbox. She started to build a castle, or at least something that was supposed to resemble a castle. Until it came crashing down. Sniffing slightly she looked ready to cry at the sight of the destruction of her masterpiece.

Gaara looked at Misaki and then looked back at the remains of her castle. "Don't cry." He began to focus on the sand and it started to move slowly taking form.

Misaki watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. She watched her castle rise again and how it became almost like a real miniature castle. She hugged him. "That is so amazing. I wish I could do something like that."

He blushed, unsure of how to react. "Thanks. Most people fear me because of it though." He looked sad again.

She hugged him again. "I don't." Playing with a strand of her hair she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before pulling away blushing.

Shocked he turned to look at her. His hand went up to his cheek.

"I've got to go for now. My mom is coming to pick me up. Bye." She waved and ran off.

"Bye." He said softly, but she could no longer hear it.

Misaki ran towards her mother. "Hey mommy."

Her mother didn't respond, instead she looked angry with her.

"Mommy?"

"I thought I told you to stay away from _him_."

Misaki looked behind her to see that Gaara was standing close by, watching them.

"But mommy…"

"No buts… We're going."

"But he is really nice mommy."

Her mother looked at her in surprise. "I don't care. I do not want you anywhere near that monster."

Gaara stood there with tears in his eyes. He had heard every word.

As her mother pulled her along she glanced back at him. He was still standing there. He looked so hurt, if only she could hug him again to make that look on his face go away. She waved slightly before being pulled forward again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll always remember  
It was late afternoon  
It lasted forever  
And ended to soon  
You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark grey sky  
And I was changed

In places no one would find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was from a song called Cry by Mandy Moore. I really loved the song and it gave me a bit of inspiration. Anywayz, I hoped you liked it so far.

Read & Review

Cya ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, here is the second part out of three. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three years. She wasn't sure what had made him change, but changed he had. He had gone from kind-hearted to cold. It was as if he no longer cared whether people accepted him or not, or even that others existed.

He also had a tattoo now, on his forehead; it was the kanji for love. Personally she thought it looked really cool.

She couldn't sleep so she just sat on the stairs, inching closer when she heard a conversation to where she could just see them but where she was still hidden in the shadows.

Her parents were both sitting in the living room.

"He is becoming a true menace to this village."

"Yes. Luckily the Kazekage is taking steps to eliminate this threat."

"He's trying to kill his own son?" Her mother sounded hesitant.

"The safety of the village exceeds the life of an individual."

"Still… He is just a kid." Her mother shook her head.

"A kid that has killed all of the assassins sent after him."

Her eyes widened. They had been trying to kill Gaara? His own father had…?

Didn't he love his own son? Couldn't he have prevented Gaara from becoming a threat in the first place? Or was it just that he didn't care?

"Daddy…"

Her father immediately sought her out when he heard her timid voice.

"If that had been me, would you have hated me too?"

Her parents sent each other worried glances. She shouldn't have heard that conversation.

"Misaki...Weren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

"I couldn't sleep." She yawned.

"Come into the kitchen. I'll make you some warm milk."

"Mommy, Gaara never had anyone to do that for him did he?"

Her mother paused for a moment, lost in her thoughts. "I guess not."

When she went back to bed she stopped and looked out of the window. 'I wonder what Gaara is doing right now.' Crawling back into bed she shut her eyes tightly, trying to forget what her parents had said. 'Poor Gaara… His own father is trying to kill him.'

The next morning her mother woke her up. "Misaki, it's time to get up. You have school today."

She shot up in bed. "Today!" She had completely forgotten. Rushing out of bed she quickly went through her clothes. Grabbing a few off the pile as she went she ran into the bathroom.

As she went off to school she suddenly wasn't in such a hurry any more. She didn't really like school. And what if the other kids didn't like her? What if they were only pretending to like her?

Maybe she would see Gaara today. She quickened her pace.

When she arrived at the school she saw nothing but unfamiliar faces. Disappointed she sat down on a bench all by herself.

At the end of the day she had made a new friend, a shy girl named Kaede. 'But she is really nice.' Misaki thought to herself. Her teacher had been the one to encourage her to at least try. Gaara however was nowhere to be seen. Feeling a bit sad she took the longer route home. She wanted to be by herself a bit.

She walked to the park and sat down against a tall building. Her mother wouldn't be home for a while, so she wouldn't notice if she was a bit later than usual.

Her thoughts drifted back in time.

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

"_Misaki, I don't want you to see Gaara again. Ever. Do you understand?" Her mother crossed her arms and looked sternly at her. Standing next to her looking even more serious stood her father. He had been really mad when he had heard she played with Gaara. _

"_No I don't mommy. He just needs a friend." She was crying._

_Her father stepped in. "But don't you understand that he could kill you?"_

"_Gaara would never do such a thing." _

"_How would you know? You have just met him. Even his own father, our Kazekage, recognizes him as a dangerous person to be around."_

"_I don't care; he just isn't like that. He is just lonely. Why won't you believe me?" She cried even more. Her mother took her into her arms until her sobs subsided a bit._

"_Please honey. Trust us. We know what is best for you." Her father said without hesitation. "Promise us you will not go near him again."_

"_I won't even get to say goodbye?"_

"_Of course you can. But after that." Her father persisted, not backing off in the least._

"_Misaki…" Her mother started to say, though she didn't finish._

"_Alright." She sniffed. "I promise."_

_The next day she went to Gaara. He looked happy to see her._

"_I thought you weren't coming back." He said smiling._

_She averted her eyes to the ground. "I just came to say goodbye."_

"_Goodbye?" Gaara's eyes were starting to tear._

"_My parents say I can't play with you any more. They say it's for the best."_

"_But… why?" Gaara looked at her, his eyes clearly showing confusion and hurt. "Did I do something wrong?"_

_She didn't answer. Crying softly she flew at him and hugged him tightly. "Goodbye Gaara. Don't forget about me."_

"_I won't. You are the first ever to have played with me. You are my only friend Misaki." He said softly._

"_Promise?" She glanced up at him._

"_Promise. Will you… Promise you won't forget about me either." _

"_Promise." She smiled sadly._

_>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>_

That was the last time she had spoken to him. Even though she had only known him for such a short time she missed him. However she had also promised her parents she wouldn't go to him again. And one must never break a promise.

Suddenly she felt her cheeks were wet. That memory had made her cry again. She wiped it off furiously. The stance of the sun told her it was time to go home. Pushing herself off the ground she got on her feet. Brushing the sand off of her clothes she remembered her sandcastle.

Shaking her head she continued her way. Breaking into a run once she knew she was coming closer a figure caught her eye. Immediately she stopped, smiling. It was him.

"Gaara…"

She waved at him. He just stared back at her, his eyes now devoid from emotion. Her shoulders drooped as she continued to walk.

Catching her off guard he appeared behind her. "What do you want?" He spoke coldly.

She hesitated a bit with her answer.

"Well?" His voice was still cold.

Flinching she looked at him. "I… I just want to say hi… and I was wondering how you were doing."

"Why would you care?"

Disbelieving what she had heard she glanced at him again. "I… I thought we were friends."

"You were the one who didn't want to be friends any more, remember?"

"My parents… I had to."

Glaring at her he shook his head. "You didn't have to do anything."

"I still care about you." She blurted out.

For a fraction of a second his eyes widened before narrowing again. "No one cares about me. No one ever has and no one ever will. In return I will love myself and only myself."

She ran. This was too much. He didn't really think that, did he? She ran up to her room and threw herself on her bed, sobbing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was late September  
And I'd seen you before  
You were always the cold one  
But I was never that sure  
You were all by yourself  
Staring up at a dark grey sky  
I was changed

In places no one would find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read & Review

Cya ;)


	3. Chapter 3

And the third and final part has arrived. I know it took me a while, but I had already written the ending… if you want to get technical I wrote that before I wrote the rest of the story… lolz. I changed it a bit though (expanded it or something along those lines, pick a word that sounds applicable to you hehe).

Anywayz, on with the story. Hope it is to your satisfaction.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Misaki had seen him come back. He was being supported by his siblings, wounded. It took all of her self-control not to rush to him and offer to nurse him back to health. But that was just the dream of a hopeless little girl. She would only make a fool out of herself.

She had seen how he had once again changed. And from a distance she had continued to watch him grow.

Inside she laughed at how awkward everything was for him. Restraining herself she made sure to keep her distance. He wouldn't want anything to do with her. She had learned that lesson the hard way the last time she tried. Tears were threatening to fall but she wouldn't let them. 'I am better than that.'

Besides, he had most likely forgotten all about her. She was no longer the same little girl that foolishly believed everything would be alright again, that believed they would be friends again. 'Let alone more than friends…' Her head shook furiously, she couldn't think like that. She _wouldn't _think like that.

Two years has passed since the day he came back. They were now fourteen. She knew now that what she had once seen as a childish infatuation was something more. She wanted to be close to him, needed to see him. Yet she refrained from doing so. 'He doesn't care.' Her shoulders slumped at that, remembering that conversation still hurt.

Seeking solitude in the confinement of her room she sat down on her bed. Kaede was still her best friend. Perhaps she could train with her later. She smiled a bit.

Who said a redhead couldn't be a ninja? Surely Gaara himself had proven them wrong. And so could she, she was sure of it. 'Too conspicuous… ' She huffed. 'I'll show them. Besides, hair can be dyed or covered so what is the big deal anyway?'

Her spirit picking up a bit she ran to Kaede's house. Her father opened the door.

"Is Kaede home? I wanted to ask her if she wanted to come with me to train."

"I'm afraid she isn't. She and her mother went out. I believe they went shopping, maybe you could join them." He smiled at her.

"No, that's ok. Bye." She waved at him as she left.

"Alright. Take care Misaki." He shut the door.

She took off running again. Slowing down she looked around. 'What should I do now? I know. I'll train by myself.'

After a couple of stretching exercises she worked on her taijutsu. It was her favourite. Punching and kicking she imagined her target, a stupid boy that used to be in her class who had been annoying her for quite some time now.

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

He had forced himself to forget, forced himself to become cold. Nothing mattered. She didn't matter.

It had been so long since he had spoken to her and he regretted his cold words to her. But she had betrayed him, hadn't she? Wasn't she to blame for that?

It wasn't important. He had forgotten ever meeting her. He had forgotten how she had become his first friend and then left him. He had forgotten the promise they made.

Then how could she still have such an effect on him?

Why was it this hard? How come he couldn't just make her go away, make her get out of his thoughts?

He had ignored those feelings for so long but now they were coming back stronger than ever. And she wasn't helping. How dare she even look at him? He clutched his head in confusion. What did she want from him? And… what did he want from her?

He had no trouble finding her. She was training. He found himself a comfortable spot and continued to watch her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. 'Beautiful.' Where did that come from?

'Misaki… What have you done to me?'

>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

She had been training for a while now. Dropping to the ground she drank some of the water that she had taken with her.

In a sudden childish impulse she poured some of it over her head. Laughing she shook her head as the water fell everywhere. She could feel the refreshing liquid making its way down her face and closed her eyes, savouring the moment.

A face flashed by almost immediately. 'Gaara.' She smiled to herself. 'I wonder what he is doing right now.' For a moment she thought she felt a familiar presence but then she shrugged it off.

She stood up and grabbed her stuff. She had stayed out so long, she had probably missed dinner. Hopefully her mother had saved some for her. 'Probably. Mom always does.'

Pausing she turned around but saw no one. 'I could have sworn… I am sure I felt…' She sighed and tried to clear her thoughts. 'I'm loosing it.'

She entered the house only to find it empty. A note had been left on the table.

_Dear Misaki,_

_Your father and I have been invited over by friends. We won't make it too late. I saved some of the dinner I made for you, all you have to do is heat it up. We want to know we're both very proud of you for training so hard._

_Love,_

_Mom_

Misaki threw the note away. It's always like this. She had become used to it. 'I'll eat later. Changing comes first.'

Quickly washing herself and throwing on a large shirt and a pair of pants she was about to make her way downstairs when she felt the wind blow. She turned around to find the window open. She frowned. That wasn't how she left it.

Looking around for her kunai her gaze fell upon him.

"Gaara…" Her breath caught in her throat.

"Misaki…"

She ran her fingers through her hair, not quite able to place the look in his eyes. "What are you doing in my room? How did you even know where I lived?"

"I followed you." He stated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Why?"

He didn't answer, he didn't even blink. Unmoving he just stood there, right next to her bed.

Suddenly Misaki realized something. They were alone…

His intense gaze never wavering he continued to stare at her. She fidgeted with her shirt, it was making her nervous. As she slowly got up she made her way to the door avoiding eye contact.

And then she suddenly found herself pinned to the wall. She could feel his breath on her face. Her stomach fluttered… He was so close. He kept coming closer and she closed her eyes. His lips lightly pressed against hers; a strange sensation shot through her body.

Before she could react he had disappeared in a swirl of sand. Unconsciously she touched her lips as if to confirm that she wasn't dreaming.

She went outside, enjoying the beautiful desert night. Something caught her eye, someone to be more precise. There he was sitting high on a building distancing himself from everything like he always had the habit of doing. She smiled. 'But not for long.' She thought to herself. Easily she climbed the building and quickly found herself standing behind him.

"Gaara." She called out to him while walking towards him. Even though she knew that he was already aware of her presence. Then she sat down next to him.

He glanced at her form the corner of his eye. 'And here we are again.'

She smiled, staring up at the moon, and held out her hand.

All he did was stare at her hand, as if it were going to bite. Unsure of what to do he looked at her questioningly.

Her smile never wavered as she took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. Sighing softly she leaned her head against his shoulder.

He let her. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he enjoyed the feeling. For the first time in his life, he felt wanted. He felt… loved.

'So this is love?' He mused, taking her into his arms a bit awkwardly. It felt right.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wanted to hold you  
I wanted to make it go away  
I wanted to know you  
I wanted to make your everything, all right  
I'll always remember...  
It was late afternoon

In places no one would find  
All your feelings so deep inside  
It was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes  
The moment I saw you cry

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The End**

Always wanted to say that.

**Read & Review**

Cya ;)

Actually I won't, at least not with story I won't.

Until one of my other current or future stories lolz


End file.
